DIRECTV pauses TNT HD in favor of high-def football
By Matt Burns 
posted Sep 11th 2006 10:09AM
posted Sep 11th 2006 10:09AM
DIRECTV has a problem with bandwidth and is taking it out on TNT HD. Sundays over on the high-def version of TNT are usually reserved for low-quality HD movies but not for the rest of football seasons. It seems like DIRECTV is shutting off the station to provide more space for their NFL Sunday Ticket. In fact if you tuned to TNT HD yesterday, there was a large NFL Sunday Ticket logo where movies where suppose to be. After all the football coverage is complete though, TNT HD will return back to its normal programming. TVPredictions.com is reporting that DIRECTV does plan to launch two new satellites to remedy the problem and hopefully provide more HD stations to their starving lineup. The real question is whether or not they will do this once NASCAR starts...[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
I'm baffled by DirecTv's lack of urgence when it comes ot increasing 1 - national HD channels and 2 - local HDs for everyone!!! Even us in markets 70-80! Man, this stresses me, but they have me by the - well you know - w/ Sunday Ticket. It's like crack - I can't break the habit!
Also, did anyone notice that you couldn't get the Cardinals-49ers game in HD on the ticket? At first, I thought it wasn't an HD game, then I saw a hilight while watching Dallas/Jax and - lo and behold - it was in HD. But I couldn't find it in the guide anywhere! They actually didn't provide it in HD! That's unacceptable!
TNT HD could be renamed "your favorite movies that you forgot about, upconverted". But I think sticking with an acronym probably works better, and TNT HD is still better than YFMTYFAU.
Directv is really behind in providing new HD channels.
They need to launch those two new satellites Pronto.
Shutting off TNT shows what a huge problem they have.
And if they didn't show all the available games that were in HD that really is bad.
I thought the two satellites they last launched were supposed to handle locals and everything else HD?
If I had DTV and was paying for the HD pack and they shut off a station to compensate that I wasn't subscribing to, I'd be pissed. This is why I have Dish. They just seem to be doing flat out better than DTV at the HD push.
Comcast did the same thing in order to add ESPN2 for the football season. They removed INHD2 to make room for it.
I'm still looking forward to all of the promised high-def programming, but until DirecTV comes through, I'm willing to do without TNTHD during the Sunday Ticket. I'm willing to do without ALL other sations during the Sunday Ticket! I did'nt invest in a wide screen and surround sound to watch Gidget and North by Northwest on HD channels that provide poor transfer and suspect quality. Spend the money and launch some more HD satellites instead of spying on Iraq!
Ugh, this doesn't impact me directly, but DTV is really starting to turn me off lately. Once my locked in period is over with them, I'll definately look around and compare them to the digital cable from Comcast. And I'm kind of sad about that, I haven't had any problems with DTV and I trust them more than Comcast, but if the money and the quality tips the balance to Comcast, I might have to jump.
My source at DirecTV says TNT HD will not be available on Sundays when they have 9 ST games in HD. Unless something changes, this includes the next two Sunday's when NASCAR is on TNT. Not good news for NASCAR fans who sub to DirecTV. I did suggest they try to find a way to deliver TNT in HD for the NASCAR races affected. We shall see.
re: #6
I have both espn / espn2 and inhd / inhd2 in hi-def on my comcast package. Arlington, VA.
I prefer watching NFL ST to TNT, but I am paying for both. DTV should not be charging for a channel that they shut off at a whim. If my NFL games were shut down to free up bandwidth for NASCAR, I would be cancelling my service. I would not blame NASCAR fans if they took they same action. DTV is clearly STALLING with crappy service as long as they can, until the new sats are launched next year (if they are on time). Get ready to buy new MPEG4 HD DVRs as well...